Cardio

I realize I just gushed about walking in the previous post, so my take on cardio is going to be a bit of a surprise. I segregate cardio from regularly walking in terms of your heart rate. Cardio requires more effort. In all honesty, I hate cardio. I find it tedious. I live in a place where if you are a heavy cardio workout fan you will need to purchase some indoor equipment or get a subscription to a gym to use their machines. Yes, there are people who run in our neighborhood year round, but not all of us want to take in a run when it’s forty-five degrees outside and raining. However, I find treadmills and elliptical machines too boring. I have tried watching videos on a tablet, listening to podcasts, but it does not work. Unfortunately, you cannot expect a healthy heart without cardio work so you have to find a way to work it into your lifestyle.

The alternatives to cardio include some of my favorite activities though, so there is a way around it. Instead of running, you can try hiking, namely hiking in places with a lot of elevation changes. There is also “power walking”, which will get your heart rate up higher than you think. You can also roll in cycling and its gym cousin spinning, which I admit I like a lot. I love putting on Apple Fitness and working through thirty minutes of spinning cardio on a machine. For some reason I am able to get into those sessions, especially one with a lot of out of the saddle climbing.

I also really like lap swimming. I did not learn how to properly swim until I was in my early thirties, when I learned watching YouTube videos. I signed up for a mini-triathlon with some work colleagues and needed to assure that I would not drown myself in the process. My favorite way to swim is using a swimming snorkel, which allows me to control my breath and stay moving without bringing my head above water. I luckily have a few options for swimming. I can choose summer swimming at Taylor Mill Swim Club (TSMC) or at the NKU Rec Center, where I am a student. There is no doubt I am blessed with these resources.